Made In Japan



Up until now, I haven’t posted anything about the appalling situation in Japan. I’ve felt that anything I wrote would sound clichéd and totally inadequate, given the unprecedented scale of devastation and human suffering.

It is now almost one week on from the powerful earthquake that triggered a massively destructive tsunami, and had even more frightening consequences - damage to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. Turn on the TV news or open your internet news sites and you will immediately be bombarded with horrifying images of the very real dangers and terrible conditions in Japan today.

I am not going to repeat any of that here.

Instead, I would like to pay homage to the people of Japan and to remember just a few of the many wonderful things that they have given the world. Some of these things impact heavily on my daily life....


Aikido
Japan has given us several martial arts... judo, jujutsu, karate to name a few. But it’s Aikido (often translated as “the Way of unifying [with] life energy" or as "the Way of harmonious spirit”) to which I devote 3 hours a week. I’m still a long way off even vaguely knowing the basic moves...put it this way, Steven Segal has got nothing to worry about just yet... but I’m probably fitter (if fatter) and more flexible than I’ve been since my early 20s.

Nat In Action

Digital cameras
I am a complete photo junkie and my compact Canon is possibly one of my most prized possessions... it goes wherever I go and just about every photo that I’ve uploaded to this blog has been taken by it.



Sushi
I’ve been a huge fan of Teppanyaki Barbecue since I first tried it at a fantastic Japanese restaurant in Flagstaff, the evening before I set eyes on the Grand Canyon. But more recently, I’ve become interested in sushi and had a go at making some....well, supervised B's efforts in any event.

Sushi for two

The list goes on and on... androids, the landmine-clearing robot, magnetic steel, the microprocessor, the pocket calculator, Walkman, CD players, DVDs, HDTV, the camcorder, Japanese cars, nuclear medicine, cultured pearls, origami, Zen Gardens, karaoke...OK, maybe best to just keep quiet about that last one!


It’s easy to see that the highly innovative and creative Japanese people have enriched our modern lives in so many ways.

In return, I would like to send some positive thoughts to the people of Japan today. Maybe, just maybe, it will give them the strength to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives.

At the very least, I hope that they will somehow know that the rest of the world has not forgotten them....

You may also wish to light a candle for Japan HERE